Chain-lock.



E. H. STAUDINGER.

CHAIN LOCK.

AYFPL'WATION man SEPT. 28,1917- 1,258,373. Patented Mar. 5, 191a.

wmmtoz Ila-r1 ,H stauiinger, $511 J4, JW,

EARL II. STAUDINGER, OF WAT-I00, NEBRASKA.

CHAIN-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Application filed September 28, 1917. Serial No. 193,841.

Yb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL H. STAUDINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at l Vahoo, in the county of Saunders and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Locks, oi which the following is a specification,

This inventionrelates to a chain locking device, for use more particularly in connection with the non-skid chains of automobile tires, and has for its object to provide such a construction that, when applied, it will not become detached or unlocked from v1- bration of the chains, to be convenient in use and to consist of few and simple parts so that manufacture will be economical.

The invention consists otthe novel con: struction, combination and arrangement or parts as described herein and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,--

Figure 1 is a side view of the device. F1". 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 1s a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view in section showing the parts in unlocked relation. Fig. 5 is an end view of the housing. Fig. 6 isa side view of the locking-bar. Fig. 7 is a side view of the housing.

Referring now to thedrawing for a more particular description, the device is illustrated in connection with a pair of chain. links indicated respectively at 8 and 9.

At 10 is indicated a movable locking bar. I provide a housing for the loclnng bar con sisting of a pair of substantially parallel elongated wings w these preferably being connected, as indicated at a at one of their longitudinal edges for a part of their length, and also disconnected for a part of their length to provide a slot 5 opening on one oi their ends.

The housing is providedbetween lts ends and intermediate the wings with a support or block 11 provided with an aperture 12, and preferably it is secured to the wlngs by a rivet 13, said block being provided with a projection or catch 14 having a convened part 0, said projection being disposed ad jacent to that end of the hous ng opposite to the slot 6. p

Each wing is also provided with a recess 15 opening on its end above the slot 6, and the wings are connected between the slot Z and said recesses with a pivot-pin 16.

The locking bar 10 is provided at its respective ends with transversely disposed arms 17 and 18, said arm 17 having a slot 19 formed substantially at right angles and also being provided to open on its inner side between said slot and the body of the locking bar with a recess 20.

The arm 18 is provided with an inwardly extending hook-member or projection 21 having a convexed part 65. The pivot-pin l6 traverses the slot 19, and provides a mounting upon which the locking bar may have swinging movements, and when the parts are disposed in locked relation they will. appear as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the locking bar being housed between the wingsw, since the block 11 is disposed inwardly of the free edges of said wings to provide an angular channel or containing space for that purpose.

The chain-link 8 is secured to the block 11 by any suitable means, the means herein shown for this purpose being a bolt 22, said bolt being loosely seated in the aperture 12 and in apertures23 of the wings, the chainlink being suitably secured to said bolt. Nu-

merals 24 indicate recesses or depressions formed in the outer edge of the locking bar for convenience of access to the milled edge .25 by an operator when manually sliding said bar longitudinally of the wings for disengaging its projection 21 from the projeotion 14., the flat contact surface 6 of the projection 21, by said operation, moving out of engagement with the flat surface 6 of the projection 14:.

When connecting two ends of a chain or connecting one chain with the link of another chain, the bar 10 is moved outwardly,

the slot Z) permittingit to have a free outward swinging movement. The chain link 9 is then mounted upon the bar 10, and by swinging said bar in a reverse direction it will become looked upon the block 11, the flat surface 6 of its projection 21 being in. engagement with the flat surface 6 of the projection 14:, the chain-link 9 being confined within recesses 15 and 20. During this movement the convexed surface 0 will slide on the convened surface (Z which greatly facilitates operation.

Among some of the advantages to. be derived by use of the invention, it may be stated that the parts are so arranged that the device, while fully operative for all purposes of a chain-lock may have a less length and width thanusual, and therefore will not be obtrusive when used upon a wheel tire. It will be noted that no stresses of importance are directed .at any time to the pivot-pin'lfi. Also thatthe stresses are sustained bythe barlO and block .11, and that so far as the stresses sustained by the bar are concerned, they are for the most part directed longitudinally of said bar.

It will be seen that the chain-lock thus 'describedunayfbe unlocked only after the chain link 9 has been moved inwardly within :the recess 15a suflicient' distance to permit such a required longitudinal movement .for the bar 10 as will be necessary for the release of its projection 2lfro1n1the pro- .jection 14,..and therefore the construction provides such proportions for the recesses 15 and 20 that the chain-link 9 may have this movement; and since this is not a normal movement for the link 9, the parts will normally remain in locked relation until an operator manually moves the 'lockingbar 10 for unlocking the device.

Whilethe utility of the invention has been described in connection with conventional "non-skid tire chains, it is obvious that it may be used for other purposes.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent .is,-

1. In a locking device for chain links, a pair of substantially parallel wings connected atone oftheir longitudinal edges, said Wings being providedfwith a pivot-pin an'dhaving recesses iopeningon one oftheir ends for receiving :a chain-link, a support- 'lIIg-blOCk between and havinga pro ection disposed adjacent to that end of the wings opposite to the recesses, a loclring-bar pro- .ing adapted to have a swlnging movement for locking said chain-link within'the recesses of the wings and the recess of said first named arm and to movelits projection into ,locked relation with the projection of said block, and a member traversing the wings and said block ,for .a mounting of a second chain-link.

'2. In a locking device for chain-links, a

.nected at its opposite end with the wings,

said locking-bar being adapted to be disposed within a second chain-link and to have a swinging movement to be disposed in the plane @Of said wings, its projection moving into engagement with the catch-member of said wings.

3. In a locking. device for chain links, a pair of connected, zsubstantially parallel wings provided witha pivot-pinand having recesses opening-on one of their ends for receivin a chain-link means for pivota'lly mounting a secondchain link on sald wings, a supporting-block between and having a rojection witha convexed part disposedadjacent to that end of the wings opposite to said recesses, a tlocking bar provided at one of its ends with aatransverselydisp-osedarm having a recess opening 'on its inner side and having aslot for receiving said-pivotpin, said locking-bar'bei-ng provided atits opposite endwith a second transversely disposed arm provided with an inwardly extending projection having a convexedzpart, said locking-bar being adapted to {have a swinging. movement for engaging "the convexed part of its projection with the convexed part of sa'idblock and to have longitudinal movements to dispose .its projection in locked relation "Withthe pro ection of said block for maintaining the first-named chain-link within the recesses of the w'ings and said first named arm.

4. In a lockin device for chain-links, a pairof aperture parallel, connected win-gs having a catch-member there'between, said catclrmember being provided with a .convexed part, .means engaging ,in said .aper .tures for supporting a "chain-link, .a lockingbar provided at one of its ends'with a projection having a convexedwpart, its 'opposite end being connected with said win s, said lockingbar providing a mounting or a second chain-link .and adapted to have a swinging movement "to dispose the convexed .partdof its projection in engagement With the convexed partiof said catch-member and -otally connected with said wings and having .a second transversely disposed arm provided with a projection, said locking bar being.

adapted to having a swinging movement for confining a chain-link between the wings In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my and said first-named transverse arm, its prosignature in presence of two witnesses. jection moving into locked relation with the EARL H. STAUDINGER.

projection of said block, and means for con- Witnesses: 5 necting a chain-link to the wings and said G110. H; SIMPSON,

block. ERNEST HANSON.

Copies of this pstcnt may be obtslned for live cents essh, by addressing the "Commissioner 0! hunts, Wsshinrton, D. 0. 

